Home › Forums › West Seattle Rants & Raves › Rant – people blocking parking on Alki
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May 22, 2009 at 8:46 pm #590973
TracyMemberIt’s not legal to block street parking from the general public, right? Someone off of Alki and Marine apparently decided they needed rock-star parking outside their apt.. It was not done by the city, not handicap parking, not due to construction….. the street parking is for everyone, people.
May 22, 2009 at 8:56 pm #667362
KBearParticipantHow do you mean they blocked it? With cones or some type of barrier? Was there a sign? Do you think they might be expecting a moving truck?
May 22, 2009 at 8:59 pm #667363
TracyMember1 cone, 1 board. Technically I guess I could have just run it over ;-) It was just for them because their car was parked there when I came back.
May 22, 2009 at 9:09 pm #667364
flowerpetalMemberI have seen this all over Seattle. Nothing is going to happen unless someone raises a question somewhere more than our forums. If it bothered me enough, I would start with the Police nonemergency number. And if you didn’t want to call that number, try 684-CITY. They have always guided me in the right direction; I have never gotten the run-around from operators answering those phones.
May 22, 2009 at 9:18 pm #667365
KevinParticipantPhotographs are excellent for documentation purposes, especially if it is an ongoing issue.
May 22, 2009 at 9:20 pm #667366
flowerpetalMemberI am always thankful of that reminder Kevin. I rarely remember to take my camera with me and oh the times I wish I had it!
May 22, 2009 at 9:23 pm #667367
KBearParticipantParking enforcement doesn’t go outside of the business districts unless somebody calls in a complaint. There’s very little enforcement in residential areas. That’s why you see people parked on the planting strips, blocking sidewalks and driveways, parked with wheels on the curb, facing the wrong direction (YES, that’s illegal in Seattle!), etc. Last week, after many calls to parking enforcement over the years, I finally had the satisfaction of watching the latest person’s car towed away from blocking my driveway. I am sorry they had to pay the price for all the idiots who came before them and managed to escape before parking enforcement got there, but… well… No, I’m not sorry after all. It was a glorious day.
You should have moved the cone and board and parked there yourself! Or, if you were afraid of what might happen to your car, just move the cone to the sidewalk and let someone else park there.
May 22, 2009 at 9:45 pm #667368
TracyMemberThanks flowerpetal, I will keep that number with me. Not that there are not enough things for the police to be doing, but still!
Kbear, I thought about that, and decided I didn’t want my car keyed! I was going to leave a note but didn’t have any paper with me.
May 23, 2009 at 1:37 am #667369
stho107MemberHi folks. I have lived across from whale tail park for more than 37 years. My husband and I are now “senior citizens”. Most of us who live here, do not have garages or driveways. In order to go to a doctor’s appointment or to drive to the market for food, we have to schedule our appointments so that we are back to the house sometime in the morning as that seems to be the only time parking is available. Having to park blocks from our house and carry the groceries in is not something we can physically do. People park so that we cannot get in or out of the small driveway we have. My husband has had to take many trips to the Emergency Room the past couple of years. It is not safe to block driveways. I can understand people who put barriers out to save a parking space, although I have never done it.
May 23, 2009 at 1:48 am #667370
WSBKeymasterAccording to local police leadership, Parking Enforcement (which has three officers now based from SW Precinct) goes into neighborhoods in response to complaints. We got warnings a month or so ago for our wheels touching the sidewalk (which is at street level, no curb) on a block that is walked by perhaps one other person a day, if that. (Doesn’t matter, we were wrong, and have corrected our ways.) At the time, there was another thread here about parking enforcement in several WS neighborhoods for wheels-up, facing the wrong way, etc. If you see it, CALL IT IN. We saw a PEO cart zipping this way a few hours ago.
May 23, 2009 at 6:58 am #667371
flowerpetalMemberstho107, it was disturbing to read that people would park in front of your driveway and block your way out or in. That is wrong whether the driveway belongs to a 32 year old or a 72 year old.
Have you investigated what it would take to get a handicapped parking sign installed by the City in front of your home? If you cannot carry groceries a distance to your home; it seems to me that you and your husband deserve that special parking.
May 24, 2009 at 1:46 am #667372
SueParticipantJust to clarify about the handicapped parking signs installed in front of people’s homes – they will not install them if you have an off-street parking area (for instance, I have a handicapped permit, but they cannot install a parking spot in front of my house because we have one car and one off-street parking spot already), and also, ANYONE with a handicapped parking placard/plate can park there, it’s not your own personal spot. So you could have one put there in front of your house for your convenience, but I could legally park there with my pass. http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/parking/disabledparking.htm
May 24, 2009 at 5:05 am #667373
flowerpetalMemberHmmm, I know someone in Fremont with parking and garage off his alley and a handicapped parking space out front at his request. Thanks Sue.
May 24, 2009 at 5:49 pm #667374
emilyMemberWe live at Admiral & 63rd and this year has been worse than usual with people parking right up against our driveway. They usually (but not always) don’t park directly in front of the driveway, but park so close that it but its terrifying to try to back out – especially when its a big truck or SUV blocking my view of the intersection.
I know that this is illegal and I’ve considered putting a friendly sign up reminding people not to block the driveway. But I don’t want to seem like a jerk either.
Has anyone had success keeping cars from blocking their driveway?
May 24, 2009 at 8:19 pm #667375
datamuseParticipantEmily, I’ve seen driveways on Capitol Hill (another place where parking is difficult) with little yellow tabs painted on either side to discourage people from parking right up against the driveway.
I don’t know whether that’s something the city did, or something the residents took it upon themselves to do. If the latter, and it might not be strictly legal.
May 25, 2009 at 3:01 am #667376
MrJTMemberGet out your yellow paint..
http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/parking/drivewaymarking.htm
May 25, 2009 at 3:53 am #667377
datamuseParticipantI stand corrected! Thanks, MrJT.
May 25, 2009 at 9:58 pm #667378
emilyMemberwow! Thanks MrJT & datamuse!
May 26, 2009 at 4:01 pm #667379
WSratsinacageMemberemily, I feel your pain, good luck. Mr JT beat me to the yellow paint suggestion. .. this is about all we can do besides call the non emergency line or say a prayer, buy a lottery ticket, etc.. What I mean is, sadly, it is not an easily won battle.
IMO- sadly, COMMON SENSE and COMMON COURTESY are not that COMMON anymore.
May 26, 2009 at 5:07 pm #667380
alki_2008ParticipantThere’s a house on Harbor Ave, a bit south of the Water Taxi/Fish&Chips parking lot that has the yellow paint on their driveway’s curb and also has a sign posted that says not to park within 5 feet of the driveway. The sign might be a nice addition to the yellow paint.
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